Today’s guest post is from Book Designer and blogger Joel Friedlander, and this content originally appeared on his website The Book Designer on May 11, 2012. Since self-publishing often feels like a daunting juggling act of roles, I felt this would be a great post to share. Joel was kind enough to allow me to repost this great information, so here it is!

One of the amazing things that happens when you start self-publishing is a certain kind of evolution. Almost all self-publishers start off as writers, of course. But it’s what happens next that’s really interesting. Follow along here and see what you think.

The Writer

It’s amazing to read the biographies of writers and hear their stories of how they started writing at age five or wrote a novel at age ten. It’s not true for all writers, but there’s some kind of impulse that makes otherwise rational people take valuable time out of their day to wrestle out the stories or ideas or teachings or whatever it is that they are compelled to write.

Because it really is compulsion for many writers. Others take to it more casually, but we all spend time learning how to communicate with this deceptive tool of written language.

A lot of the life of a writer is lived in . . . solitude.

Look, there’s really no replacement for the time it takes to learn to craft a decent sentence, or to create a persuasive argument. Writing is solitary by its nature, and a lot of the life of a writer is lived in that solitude. A writer who works as a professional, whether full time or part time, is also engaged in the business of writing, with being accepted or rejected for publication, with agents and editors. All these activities take place in the wider world, and naturally develop a different side of the writer’s life.

The Author

It’s easy to see that a writer is simply someone who writes. But then who is an author?

I suppose in a general sense there’s not much difference between the two. But for me, an author is a person who has written a book. Now, when you’ve written a book—become an author—usually you’re intending to publish that book. Most books are written for publication of one kind or another; there’s not much incentive for authors to write a book they don’t intend to publish, is there?

It may be a very private or small-circulation publication, but even then the author will need to produce copies and distribute them to other people. So I connect the idea of being an author with publishing the work you create. You might take any one of many paths to reach your goal of publication, but the goal remains the same.

The author has a public face in the world. That means that authors also have a business capacity, the necessity to deal with agents and editors, with the finances and tax implications of earning income from your writing. But the big difference, for me is that the author almost always has a public face in the world, while a writer might remain completely private, if they choose.

The Publisher

And by that I mean the self-publisher. Writers turn to publication to reach their goals, becoming authors in my little evolutionary scale. Taking control of your own book publishing boosts you to a new level. Becoming a self-publisher requires a leap much larger than going from being a writer to an author.

As a self-publisher you become concerned with lots of stuff that has little to do with writing or being a published author. Book manufacturing, distribution, discoverability, and design all become important in a new way. You create a company structure of some kind. Publishers make contracts with freelance publishing professionals, learn to write press releases, and start to study pricing and other publisher-specific kinds of tasks.

The skill set required to go from author to self-publisher will prevent many writers from making this leap. Already you can see that the skill set required to go from author to self-publisher will prevent many writers from making this leap. Their path will be different than yours, and that’s perfectly okay. For most authors, becoming self-publishers will also push them into social media, or increase the time and energy they spend on social media sites.

But there’s still one more step to take.

The Marketer

Many writers operate quite well as observers of the world around them who bring lessons back from their observations. For an author, a place has been created in the world by their writing, and that has an influence on other people. The publisher has the capacity to create real products from her own stories and ideas and industry, and to build a business from them.

But the marketer is in touch with people who will be the ultimate users of the publisher’s products. The marketer understands their hopes and fears, their dreams and nightmares. The marketer closes the loop of the whole writing-publishing enterprise. By connecting the skill of the author to the needs of readers, the marketer closes the loop of the whole writing-publishing enterprise.

In a way, writers need readers and become authors to find them. Now, authors can become publishers to create and deliver their books to readers through entirely new forms of distribution.

But publishing, by itself, simply isn’t enough to allow most books to reach their potential. Almost by force of circumstance, successful self-publishing will require us to become marketers, in one way or another. The internal world of the writer has evolved into the market-focused world of commerce. It’s quite a challenge to keep them all going. How do you do it?

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and award-winning book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing, and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He’s also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read. He also is the author of A Self-Publisher’s Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish and the founder of the online training course The Self-Publishing Roadmap. Follow Joel on Twitter here.

There is a saying that in science you have creativity, management of production, and marketing. Nobody is good at all three because they have contradictory personality requirements. Something to think about?

Ian, that’s very true, and not every writer is equally adept at these different roles. However, there is so much freelance help very available online these days that it makes sense to only focus on the parts you are better at and which you enjoy, and outsource the rest as much as possible.

I truly enjoy each and every role of self-publishing, from the creative process of writing to putting the book together – formatting, layout, planning distribution – and marketing, since that was a big part of my previous career. The biggest problem most of us face, I believe, is finding time to do all these things successfully and still have a life!

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Susanne is more than an editor; she cares about your book as if it were her own. As a first-time author, I appreciated Susanne’s help, which was essential to me publishing a quality book. I simply can’t thank her enough. My book went on to win first place in the 2015 Feathered Quill Book Awards!

W. Lawrence, authorSyncing Forward

Susanne’s critique service is really top-notch. I love the fast but thorough work that she does every single time. My book she critiqued called I Won’t Cry hit three best-seller lists right away, and I could not have done it without her.

Shaquanda Dalton, authorI Won't Cry

Working with Susanne has been fabulous. She has a wonderful sense of what works and what doesn’t without moving away from the heart of the story. I am thrilled with the job she has done on my current work in progress, and I no longer have to stress about how my book is going to turn out. I have a great editor to take all the hassle out of the process! I am so excited to have found her. Thanks, Susanne–you are a blessing!

Elena Dillon, authorBreathe

Susanne is a writer with a wonderful imagination and also a gifted copyeditor, able to point out a wide range of necessary improvements in manuscripts while remaining completely positive and encouraging. A great writing mentor!

Grace Bridges, publisher, authorFaith Awakened

Susanne is always accessible and eager to help. With years of writing experience and several books already tucked into the completed file, she comes at the craft of writing with a tool belt full of knowledge and creativity. She tackles editing with the heart of a mentor. One aspect I especially appreciate in the help I’ve received from Susanne is her dedication, which translates into always finishing the job. I would highly recommend her.

Catherine Leggitt, authorPayne and Misery

Susanne Lakin, already a gem of a novelist, shines with extra brilliance through the facets of her superb editing and critiquing services. Susanne took our good work and made it great through her remarkable ability to find and fix subtle problems that would nag at a reader’s subconscious, yet in her editing never stole the heart or the voice of our work. Some editors rush a job when it comes in with a short deadline. Susanne did not. Above all, Susanne is lovingly blunt, but not confrontational. I don’t want an editor who glosses over trouble just to keep my business. Her commitment to good writing is always the first focus in her reviews. I’ll go back to Susanne Lakin often—for quality work, for quick work, for a helping spirit, and for exacting honesty. She’s a diamond in the world of editors and critiquing services.

Austin Boyd, authorThe Proof (2007) and H2O The Novel

Susanne was terrific to work with! She is a wonderful editor who caught my mistakes, smoothed out my writing, and made my final product much better. I really appreciated her prompt replies to my questions and her clear, thorough explanations of suggested changes to my manuscript. I would highly recommend Susanne for a great editing experience and for a final product you will be proud of.

John Claeys, authorApocalypse 2012

Susanne doesn’t change the mood of your work, she smooths out the wrinkles. She taught me things to spice up and improve my style. Her help resulted in my first novel winning the CSP Book of the Year 2010 Award for fiction. The publisher could not have made a better choice.

Pola Muzyka, authorAbducted to Kill

Our lives are shaped from the books we read; therefore, the most valuable job to both publisher and author is their editor. Editor Susanne Lakin is a gifted wordsmith, coach, and mentor. Our authors have grown and learned from Susanne’s professional editorial direction without losing their voice. As a small book publisher, we are grateful to Susanne for always completing projects ahead of schedule and under budget.

Alice Nicholas, publisherPecan Row Press

Without Susanne Lakin’s expert editing, expertise on how a book should be put together, and her special literary insights, I would not have my newest novel, Love, Sometimes, with an agent and a film option, and now sold to Simon and Schuster for publication. I can’t wait to give her the rest of my books. Not only is she a great writer, but she’s a rare combination, also knowing how to edit.

Barbara Rose Brooker, authorThe Viagra Diaries

Susanne Lakin performed CPR on my novella and brought it back to life with incredible skill. Worth every penny! I intend to use her for my next project too. Thanks, Susanne!

Renee Yancey, authorHave Cash, Will Marry

Susanne is a concise, dynamic, and artistic writer. Her dedication, care, and attention to detail pushed me to revisit my work with new insight. I was able to delve deeply into my soul and create a memoir worthy of publication. Being associated with her was like touching gold, and under her guidance I grew from an aspiring writer to an author. My success is due to Susanne, and I am forever grateful and blessed to know her.

C. C. Gross, authorRising Up from a Long Way Down

Susanne Lakin has both the heart and skills that make her an exceptional editor and coach. I was dead in the water with my manuscript–unsure where to find the help I needed to move forward–until I discovered Susanne. She became the wind in my sails, and I’m thrilled to say I’m now ready to publish!

Rod Smith, authorHoly Libido

Susanne’s editorial skills were amazing, not only is she fast but also very accurate as she had been able pick out the numerous needles in the haystack in a record time without missing any. The best thing about working with her is that I believe the story and the ‘voice’ are noticeably improved without being changed much.

Betsy Cheung, author2018

Susanne is an amazing editor. She worked with patience and skills to improve my manuscript to perfection. She is also a great motivator with encouraging reminders, and kept urging me with ambiguous sentences until I got them right. Now my book shines thanks to her expertise.

Lilian Gafni, authorFlower from Castile Trilogy: The Alhambra Decree

I was just a writer before working with Susanne Lakin—she made me an author. Her developmental suggestions made all the difference in my book. She’s fast and fair, and easy to work with.

Cathy Fiorelli, authorAl Capone Had a Lovely Mother

Susanne made a ton of comments and suggestions on my manuscript, giving me much to think about, and in the end, a better book. She really knows how to push you to make your writing stronger and to get it to the place it needs to be. I would highly recommend her.

Sandi Greene, authorIf I Let You Go

If you want to look at your manuscript through a totally new perspective and really see what works and what does not, then I cannot recommend Susanne Lakin’s editorial services enough!

Brannon Hollingsworth, author Skein of Shadows

Contracting with Susanne was one of the wisest decisions I ever made. In a little over two months, I learned more from her edits, critiques, and evaluations than I ever did in the twelve months I wasted with all of the previous “editors” combined. Finding her was like discovering a diamond in a field of rhinestones. There are many superlatives that would describe Ms. Lakin and the superior quality of her editing. She is honest and forthright with her suggestions. She responds to my questions promptly with thorough easy-to-understand advice. Her patience with my ‘new writer’ mistakes seems limitless. Unlike others, she doesn’t dictate or ‘write’ the novel for me but guides and encourages me down the path I want my novel to go.

Alan Behr, author The Price of Justice

Susanne’s insight and eye for detail have, on numerous occasions, taken my manuscripts from mediocre to good, from good to better, from better to my personal best. She offers both honesty and encouragement, and acts as a cheerleader for her clients—urging them on to excellence.

Renae Brumbaugh, authorFilling Up My Lap

Having C. S. Lakin edit my manuscript was easily the single most important step to taking my novel to a professional level. A worthwhile investment I intend to make for the next one.

Christopher Michael, AuthorThe Thorn Guard of Cyranessa

Much of her advice was easy fixes, but there were times Susanne made me think. I’ve really appreciated that about her, and my writing skills are better because of her expertise. I highly recommend Susanne for anyone’s editorial needs. She proved herself to me and amazed me with her spot on advice and suggestions.

Jean Williams, authorJust Claire

Susanne critiqued and edited my manuscript. She is a master at getting inside a story and suggesting ways to make it shine. And she is a pro at helping with character development, bringing personalities to life on the page. Through Susanne’s editing, I learned to become a better writer.

Bo Kearns, authorAshes in a Coconut

I highly recommend Susanne Lakin’s services. As a new author, after reading her edited version of my book, I went from reluctant excitement about publishing, to fully charged excitement. Thank you, Susanne, for your expertise and the extra boost of confidence.

Jamie Hope, authorRevelations

A thousand thanks, to Susanne Lakin for her editing guidance and expertise. Writing is a private journey–best carried out wearing all-day pajamas with only the dog to offer feedback. When a writer tests the waters of outside readers, he or she must be very brave. Susanne uses her writer’s talent to take would-be authors beyond their solitary space and make them the best they can be.

Linda Merlino, authorRoom of Tears

Susanne is a pleasure to work with and professional in every aspect. Her expertise can help you take a rough draft and transform it into a manuscript you are proud to present. Her editing skills and detailed critiques were invaluable.

Earl Hardy, authorThe Man Who Loved Cats

I can’t thank Susanne enough for her insight and advice as an editor and writing coach. Working with her on my book was a joy. God has truly gifted her, and I highly recommend her expertise.

Perry Perret, authorTwisted Wolf

I have worked with other freelance editors; of them all Susanne was the best. Her feedback, attention to detail, and especially her critiques and suggestions brought new dimensions to my work that helped me improve my craft substantially. Thank you, Susanne.

James Knight, author

I spent a lot of time researching editors, reading, and buying books on how to write a novel because I didn’t know how. When I contacted Susanne, she was quick to respond and worked my novella in between her other projects. She not only gave me insightful wisdom but made it easy to follow instructions. She gave clarity to what I was struggling to understand with POV and scene setting. The process required work, but it was painless, and I grow in the process. I would highly recommend her editing services especially to people who feel intimidated by the whole process.

Valarie Richardson, authorThrough the Eyes of Love

Susanne is an excellent writer and editor. She was able to break down some reasons why I might not be getting picked up by any publishers. She provided practical ideas for me to rework my manuscript and suggestions as to how to proceed. Her feedback and upbeat attitude were a great source of encouragement to me. I am currently revamping my manuscript and plan on contacting publishers again soon.